Twin Kings
by American-Pisces
Summary: No one ever thought the two street rats from downtown would make it anywhere in life, let alone become international stars, yet here they are. Alfred and Matthew have led star-studded lives since that fateful night out on the streets, but some authorities still aren't convinced that they have given up their street ways. (Casino AU, possible USUK and Franada, cover from tumblr)
1. Where It All Began

_This is an idea that has been burning in my mind for weeks!_ _ **DISCLAIMER**_ _: I don't know much about gambling, cards, or dice games! Also, I don't own Hetalia! Oh, and their personalities are a little different, I shifted them a bit to fit with this setting. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! Xoxo- Silver_

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Prologue

Gemini Casino, years ago the place wasn't even on the radar of international gamblers and especially not mentioned in any tourist brochures. The owner was pulling his hair out to make ends meet for the small place. Pay was low, morale was lower. Things looked grim for the already skeletal staff, many were convinced Gemini would crumble into bankruptcy like many upstart casinos in the downtown district. That was years ago, today Gemini Casino is the shining star of the downtown district. Internationally known and a siren to all gamblers and professional players. What changed? The answer is simple. The twins. The two who showed up one night thirteen years ago clad in rain soaked clothes without a penny to their names. The owner couldn't leave two young boys out on the dirty streets of downtown, so he took them in. Raising them as his own, the twins grew up as part of the Gemini family. Little did he know those twins would be the sole reason for his casino's fame...and infamy.


	2. Gemini Twins

_Here is the first actual chapter! I hope you all like it! Please R &R so I know! I hope you all have a great day/night! Xoxo- Silver_

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"What should I wear tonight? The white vest and gray shirt combo that drives the ladies wild, or the sophisticated black and white getup?"

"Why don't you just wear the uniform like everyone else?"

Sky blue eyes rolled as Alfred flipped onto his stomach on the bed to stare at his brother Matthew. Of course Matthew would tell him that. Didn't he understand that looking the part was more important than following the rules? They were international stars. People came all over the world to challenge them at their respective games, they couldn't be wearing bland outfits. Especially not the checkered vest and white shirt mix that everyone else who worked at Gemini wore.

"Really? When have I ever wore that thing?"

Matthew sighed and fixed his bow tie in the mirror before glancing at his brother.

"You had to wear it everyday when we were growing up, it didn't kill you then, it won't kill you now." He rolled his eyes as Alfred sighed dramatically and began to weigh the pros and cons of his original choices anyways. Matthew looked back at the mirror and straightened his own checkered vest before running a hand through his wavy blond hair and staring at that stupid curl that would not do anything he wanted.

"Fine, why don't we just wear black and white? It's close enough to the uniform and besides as long as we do our thing at the tables, Boss won't care if we show up wearing hot pink." Alfred jumped off the bed and threw a jet black vest at Matthew, before quickly grabbing one for himself. Matthew caught the vest reflexively before sighing and shrugging.

"I guess you have a point. Besides… I don't really like this vest anyways."

Alfred laughed and fixed his own vest before hip-bumping Matthew away from the mirror.

"Told you, bro. Black makes us look sexy as hell!"

Matthew hip bumped his brother back so they were both sharing the mirror while fixing their vests and bow ties.

"I'm not doing this to look sexy, it's-"

"All about the game. I know, dude, you say that almost every night."

Violet met sky blue as the brothers stared at each other for a second.

"Fine, I'll come up with a new phrase, jerk."

"Good luck with that, bitch."

Both laughed for a minute before quieting down and staring at their reflections. Clean, polished, sophisticated men stared back at them from the other side of the glass. The boys were still getting used to looking like this, even after thirteen years. No more dirt smudged on their faces, no more nights in the gutter, no more worrying about getting kidnapped or sick. Way back then, they never would have dreamed about this kind of future. They didn't have the big star studded dreams like the kids they hung out with on the street corners. Every day was just one more fight and one more close call with the law when it came to stealing food for the night. They were just grubby little street rats, and they swore that was all they were going to be. Luckily, one night they just found themselves hiding by the right doors as they tried to avoid getting any more soaked in the cold rain.

"Do you sometimes still think this is a dream?" Matthew quietly asked as he fiddled with his bowtie for the second time.

"Sometimes. Other times, I'm just scared that someone will come and take it all away. All it would take is one slip." Alfred's tone lost all of its previous lightness. They both knew how risky their job was, one wrong move and it was all over. Together they were the Gemini Twins, the unbeatable masters, if they were to lose a single game, it would be the end of their careers. They weren't afraid of people accusing them of cheating anymore, it had happened too many times before to carry any weight now. Especially since each time it happened, they had taken another precaution during the next game. When they were just starting out, they could keep their sleeves down, their tables were simple, Alfred used the same basic cards every time, and Matthew used the same boring dice. Nowadays, they had to roll their sleeves up to their elbows, have at least three bright lights on their tables and they had cameras projecting the view from above so everyone could watch every minuscule second of the games. Also, Alfred was given a new, unopened deck of cards each time and Matthew was given a brand new set of dice. They weren't complaining, it was a great way to get sponsored and pocket some extra money, but it was an annoyance having to show everyone the new items every time.

"At least we don't have to worry about food ever again." Matthew tried to lighten his brother's mood before they had to go out for another night of games.

"And we actually have a bed to sleep in. Though I don't think anything will ever be as comfy as that old moldy piece of cardboard." Alfred glanced at his brother smirking and patted his shoulder the same way he had since they were children. It was their silent sign that everything was going to be okay.

"We're going to kick ass out there like we do every night." Just for good measure Alfred knocked twice on the wooden dresser below their mirror. Matthew chuckled at the action and nodded.

"Of course we will, we are the Gemini Twins. We are unbeatable." Matthew smiled at his brother and knocked on the wooden dresser himself.

"Are you boys ready or not? We have to open these flood gates at some point!"

As their Boss' voice drifted under the door, the boys nodded at each other and turned to face the door.

Alfred swung the doors open to greet their Boss/father figure and mock saluted him.

"Yeah, we are ready. Let in the horde! We can take them!"

Boss rolled his eyes at Alfred's dramatic flair and looked at Matthew.

"How many games do we have to play tonight?"

Even though both of the boys lived for their respective games, it was tiresome and boring to play the same game over and over for hours on end. Especially with the variety of people they played with, some were entertaining, others were downright rude, and some were just undesirable in every sense of the word. Luckily, their boss understood this early on in their career. He tended to space out their games so they had breaks they could spend together privately to get away from the roar of the people, or if they chose they could mingle with the people.

"Both of you only have six games tonight. Professional guys from around the world, some celebrities too I think. You both know the drill, I don't have to tell it to you. Go out there and break a leg." With that dismissal the duo walked past Boss and headed into the empty casino. The low rumble of people outside resembled an approaching storm, which was true in a sense. A shared nod, a familiar handshake, minor glasses adjustments and some whispered words of encouragement were all the twins did before breaking apart and moving to their respective sides of the casino, ready for the oncoming storm. Boss nodded to the unlucky employee of the week who had to open the doors, as she pulled the doors open, people flooded in as the casino roared to life. Alfred and Matthew shared a knowing wink before exclaiming,

"Welcome to Gemini Casino: Home to the Gemini Twins! Who is brave enough to take us on first?"


	3. Thirteen Years Ago

_Sorry for the long pause on this one, I did a lot more work on the storyboard and added a few people! So just to clarify, I know I didn't give Boss any details in the first chapter, but here he does get a description as our favorite Prussian and Liz (Hungary) is also mentioned. I didn't plan on including them so I apologize if it seems odd. If anyone wants, just tell me to fix the first chapter and I will. If not, then it will stay as is. They won't be a main focus, but it felt odd to just have to nameless people floating around. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy. Please R &R since this story will be a test of sorts for me. Have a lovely day guys! Xoxo- Silver_

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 _Thirteen years ago…_

If the cold nights weren't bad enough, the sky decided to open up and drench the downtown area in icy rain. Tourists and civilians scattered like bugs back to their hotels and houses leaving the streets empty and lonelier. Bright blue eyes peeked out around the corner of a rundown alleyway surveying the streets looking for any dry areas to spend the night that wouldn't risk flooding.

"Al, why can't we just stay here for the night? It's dry here." A quiet voice cracked behind the blue eyed boy causing him to turn quickly. Al looked over his twin, shivering and drenched, and shook his head quickly. As much as he wanted to hunker down somewhere and keep Mattie warm, they couldn't stay where they were.

"Mattie, you know we can't stay here. The owner said he would call the cops if he caught us hanging around the bar doors again, and besides if it keeps raining it'll flood." Al rubbed his brother's arms vigorously trying to give the violet-eyed boy some heat. That ragged coat barely held onto heat anymore, there were too many holes in the fabric and too much rain already soaked in. Al glanced around before taking his tattered coat off and tossed it at his brother.

"Al! No, take your coat. You can't get sick!" Mattie furiously tried to hand his brother's coat back, but as his brother's eyes narrowed a bit, Mattie knew it was useless. Once his brother set his mind to something, nothing could get him off track. Grudgingly, Mattie put the coat on, he wouldn't tell his brother, but the coat did help him get a bit warmer. He still worried about his brother getting sick, the last time Al got sick out here he didn't say anything until it got really bad. Al leaned back out and searched the streets before smiling and turning to Mattie.

"Okay, here is the plan. We are going to run across the street and then duck into the doorway of the rundown motel overthere. It'll be easy!"

Mattie peeked out around Al and looked towards where he was pointing. It was a rundown motel, actually decrepit would be better. The place was in shambles, the paint was peeling outside and a few of the windows were broken. Mattie didn't know how a place like that could stay open, yet as a woman wearing very revealing clothing walked under an umbrella with a man who was getting very "friendly" with her towards the motel, it clicked in his young mind.

"Al, are you sure? That place doesn't look too safe. I know you're a hero and all, but bad people go there." Mattie knew his brother was doing everything in his power to keep them alive from day to day, but this idea was a stretch. Al turned and patted Mattie's shoulder gently. It had been a signal between them for as long as they could remember. Al silently reassured Mattie that he had a plan. Mattie nodded at Al and kept a hand firmly placed on his back waiting for them to take off at a sprint.

"On three…"

The two settled into a silence as Al slowly counted, at three they took off at a dead sprint across the street trying to get out of the downpour as fast as their little legs could carry them. As they slid under the the coverings at one end of the motel the boys leaned against each other and the wall trying to catch their breath. Al resisted the urge to rub his arms and shiver, he couldn't let Mattie feel bad and give his coat back. Mattie needed it more, he seemed paler than normal earlier that day.

"You okay, Mattie? Didn't strain yourself?" Al wrapped an arm around his brother trying to warm him up again, he could feel Mattie's shivers through the thin layers.

"I'm fine, just getting tired. We didn't eat much today." Both of their stomachs growled angrily as Mattie mentioned that fact. Al frowned and tried to pull something out of his pocket; he carefully opened his hand to reveal a soggy piece of bread that was struggling to stay together.

"We can share. Sorry I couldn't nab some more earlier, that old lady was watching me like a hawk." Mattie smiled at Al's offer and the story. It was true, a few people were beginning to see them around a bit too much. If they lingered too long the cops may grab them and toss them into the nearest orphanage.

"Don't be sorry, it's better than nothing. So are we sneaking into a room or playing it safe and staying out here?" Being outside a rundown motel at night during a rainstorm wasn't safe, but it was better than trying to climb into a room with a broken window when who knows what could be waiting inside.

"We can stay out here, I'm sure the rain will pass." Al smiled at Mattie and pulled his brother close after they both finished their half of the soggy bread. He always tried to stay on the positive side for Mattie, their life was rough, but if he could make his brother smile and laugh at least once a day then he was doing something right in his mind. The duo curled up together safe from the rain in the doorway of a room lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain.

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"-hear me?! Stay away from us!" Mattie slowly opened his eyes, then quickly sat up as he heard the tone in Al's voice. He rubbed his eyes and saw Al holding his makeshift blade (a sharp piece of glass and metal tied together with cloth) in front of him as a tall man laughed. His features were distorted by the rain and the poor lighting, but that didn't matter, it was clear his intentions were nothing good.

"You think that tiny thing will stop me? You're just a brat. I could kill you right now if I wanted too." Al's stance remained firm, but Mattie saw his brief hesitation. Al was brave, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he was outmatched, but he wasn't going to let the other guy know that. Mattie slowly stood up and patted Al's shoulder before gently pressing his thumb into Al's right shoulder blade. Al nodded ever so slightly. Mattie wanted them to bolt to the right as soon as possible. They couldn't take this man in a fight, but they could outrun him.

"What's it gonna be you little brats, you gonna try to fight me or just give up and do as you're told?"

At the same time, the twins took off sprinting away from the man. Al tucked his blade away as they sprinted hand in hand away from the motel, even when they turned multiple corners and couldn't hear the other man behind them anymore, they kept running. Only when Mattie's legs gave out and he stumbled did they stop. Al quickly grabbed Mattie before he could hit the concrete.

"Mattie?! Talk to me, you okay, bro?" Rubbing his brother's arms to keep him warm and pulling him under a nearby awning, Al sat down and held Mattie close. His heart was racing and not only from their mini marathon, but from the fear that Mattie was getting sick, from the sheer terror that a stranger wanted to take Mattie away from him, and from just the general fear of not knowing what the next day would bring all made his stomach upset. An odd shaking feeling brought Al out of his own mind as he realized that Mattie was trembling against his chest.

"That was terrifying…" Al tried to soothe his brother the best he could, but he was just as scared as Mattie.

"It's okay Mattie, nothing happened to us. On the bright side, we got enough exercise to last the week." Al tried to smile for Mattie, but as violet eyes brimmed with tears, Al knew this wasn't the time. As Al continued to soothe Mattie and reassure him, the duo missed the sounds of a nearby door opening.

"You kids got anywhere to go?"

Al tightened his grip on Mattie and glared at whoever called out to them. His eyes settled on a man with silver hair and scary red eyes poking his head out of the door they were hiding in front of.

"Y-yeah… we were just leaving."

The man narrowed his eyes at them as Al tried to lie, then opened the door wider, inviting them inside.

"Liars. Get in here, it's warm and dry, I'm sure Liz will have some food if you need it." He watched the young boy with bright blue eyes study him, after a minute of him not moving, the man tried again.

"I'm the owner of this place, I won't call the cops. Now come on in before you or your brother get sick."

With that, Al carefully stood up with his arms protectively around Mattie and went inside, always keeping his eyes on the man.

"Who are you?"

The owner laughed and leaned against the wall. The blue-eyed kid had spunk, he liked that.

"As I said I'm the owner of this casino, Gemini, and you can call me Boss."

Al narrowed his eyes, but the voice that piped up wasn't his.

"Boss is an odd name."

The man's attention was drawn to the soft violet eyes of the other brother. By looking at the two of them together it was clear they were twins. If it weren't for the eye color, he would've thought he was drunk and seeing double. He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it all.

"Not my real name, but it's what you will call me as long as you stay here."

The twins looked at each other as if silently discussing their options before both nodded.

"Fine, Boss, I'm Al and this is Mattie. You aren't a weirdo, are you?"

The man couldn't help but laugh at the naivety of the pair.

"No, I'm not. Now let's get you two cleaned up and fed, you look like little dirty skeletons and that is just sad."

As the twins were pushed towards a long hallway, they looked at each other both asking the same silent question.

 _What's a Gemini?_


End file.
